Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-06

showed) to disarm suspicion rom any trains met. On Friday, so far as human vision can now penetrate, these calculations would have worked out with the precision of machine, and all the results indicated have followed. To-day there were new clements which were to task our powers to the utmost, but of these we as yet knew nothing.
 All careful and prudent preparations were now made for long run. A red flag placed on the last car showed that another train was behind, and served as 8 kind of silent excuse for being on the time of the morning mail. The engine was also carefully inspected by Knight, whose mechanical knowledge was most useful, and found to be in excellent work ing condition. It was thoroughly oiled. Then we moved leisurely onward until we came near Moons station, where some workmen were engaged on the track, and the opportunity of getting necessary tools was too good to be lost Brown sprang down and asked man for wedge pointed iron bar with which he was prying. The man gave it at once and Brown stepped back with his booty, but little disap- pointed, for one of the bent, clawfooted bars for pulling out spikes would have been worth much more, but they had none. The bar taken was the only one of their tools that seemed likely to be of value, or more would have been borrowed by force, if not otherwise.
 As we went on Andrews cautioned his engineers not to run too fast, which they inclined to do; all of us would have relished more speed iL this first part of the journey. But running on all south ern roads in war times was slow; our train was not scheduled at over sixteen miles an hour. The road itself was ex- ceedingly crooked, with abundance of short curves, and, having but light iron rails, was unf1tted for high speed. We that we might test the roads capabilities. Those on the engine were very much amused, as we ran by station after sta- tion, to see the passengers come up with their sachels in their hands, and then shrink back in dismay as we sped past without sign of halting But when by we would stop and cut the telegraph wire, so that no suspicious or inquiries could be sent ahead.
 Thus we passed through Ackworth and Allatoona, and then stopping again to cut the wire, also endeavored to lift rail. While we were sure that no train from Big Shanty could follow us, we wished also to make it difficult for one from At lanta, if any should be sent from there, to run rapidly; and what was of equal inn portance, we did not wish the local freight to proceed southward after we met it, to be turned back by any pursucrs A lifted rail is almost sure to throw all unsuspect- ing train from the track; and we put such an obstruction before each train that we met on this journey. Yet the process oi taking up a rail, though we made much of it, was far from easy with the imper.
 feet tools we possessed. A single tool-a
 bar constructed expressly for drawing out
 spikes-would have enabled us to baff1e all
 pursuit. But this we did not have, and
 more than five minutes were consumed
 for each rail taken up, in battering out
 some spikes with our iron bar and after
 ward prying the remainder loose witt
 handspikes and with the rail itself. This
 delay was of no great importance now for we had a superfiuity of time; but il
 the quick and terrible struggle further LII
 the road, when seconds were decisive, ii was far otherwise. The rails when lifted
 were carried away with us, and the breal thus left was for a time Q barrier (to { train not supplied with track laying tools as absolute as a burnt bridge. The feel ing of security after such obstruction wal very delightful and not unwarranted. II no case did pursuing train pass plac' where we had torn up a rail in time to d, us any damage.
 There was an exu1tant sense of superi ority while running along in the midst o our enemies in this manner, such as
 man in a balloon might feel while drift
 ing over hostile camps, or o. CT the raein' waves of the ocean. As long as all is wei with his balloon the man need not car what takes place in tho world below; an, as long as our engine retained it's powe and the track was clear before us, w were in 9 similar state of security. Blu